Kiss A Frog
by la Pianissima
Summary: Long, long ago, where women were still allowed in the newly-born Varia, a young prince and a peasant girl were recruited in the most lethal elimination group in the whole Mafia Underworld. What kind of childhood does the bitter underworld offer to these two children? T for safety.
1. Prologue

**December 22, 2012.**

**First of all, Buon Compleanno Belphegor and Rasiel!**

**Secondly, WE SURVIVED 12/21/12!**

**Summary:** Long, long ago, where women were still allowed in the newly-born Varia, a young prince and a peasant girl were recruited in the most lethal elimination group in the whole Mafia Underworld. What kind of childhood does the bitter underworld offer to these two children?

_**WARNING: A Xanxus, Mammon and Squalo-less Varia, a manly Lussuria and a young Levi. Rated T for safety. Oh and an improvised Tyr since he hadn't had a proper physical and psychological description in any internet source.**_

_**I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!**_

* * *

**Kiss a Frog – Prologue**

Long, long ago, when Tyr the Sword Emperor was still alive and the Varia has just been born, there lived a small prince with blonde mop hair in the country of Hamret. He was running away from an angry mob with flaming torches and pointy pitchforks. Who could have guessed that this young prince has killed his entire household: from the king, the queen, his brother, to ever single maid and guard. Then he set the castle ablaze. No, he wasn't insane. He's still knows what's wrong or right. He was just bored.

Several miles due south of Hamret is the small village of Pliny. There, a gang of hoodlums has conquered and is swooping for loots they could possibly steal. Many civilians were killed, including the town chief. But a little girl who was on her way back from her trip to the forest shrine came running away from her home. She saw blood everywhere, dead bodies scattered around. What could a little girl do but run away?

And so she did.

Hours of running made the two youngsters reach a not-so-small-but-not-so-big pond. Tired of the midnight exercise, they slept on the opposite side of the small body of water, unknown of each other's presence due to the darkness of the night.

Morning has arrived, yet the sleeping figures were still slumbering. Fatigue was still evident in their fragile muscles. Their low moans of agony were heard by a passerby. His spiky grey hair shimmered under the morning sun's rays. He was old, but it was clear enough to see that the two children he saw were in need of dire help.

'_Hmm…Judging from their looks they seem to be wounded or something…'_ Slowly, he tried to awaken them. First he went to the blonde. He was only a few inches away from the water's edge.

"Little girl, wake up now." The blonde figure immediately sat upright.

"I'm not a girl!" He said, bellowing with all his might. "I'm a prince, just so you know, and I'll accuse you of disrespecting me!" The old man laughed. _'A prince, eh? Hmm, no wonder he has a tiara.'_

"Ahh, I'm sorry, I didn't know, your highness." He kneeled down in front of the so-called prince and placed his hand on top of his chest, showing respect to the boy. Their ruckus made the girl stir.

"What's all the noise…? Wh-who are you people?!" Her face dimmed. Afraid, she backed away a couple of steps. They were strangers. Might they be the bad people last night? Have they come to kill her as well?

"What did you do to mom and dad? Why did you…" Tears formed in her eyes and she began to wail loudly. The old man came over to her side and comforted her. The young 'prince' looked at the girl with gusto.

Though his bangs covered most of his face, he can clearly see the weeping girl. Her wavy dirty blonde hair glimmered under the sun's rays; her puffy cheeks were so cute all tinted pink. The way her tears fell from her eyes to her chin marked a river more majestic than the Amazon. Was this love at first sight? He couldn't think. His focus was only on her.

"Now, now, child. Don't be afraid. I'm not here to do you harm." The old man said, patting the girl's head. She wiped away her tears with the back of her palm.

"B-but… last night, mom and dad were…"

"Sssshh. Tell me what happened."

And she did. She told her everything she can remember and it lightened her heart right after.

"Oh… Your town must have been raided by bandits. When those things happen, there's nothing left we could do. I'm sorry for your family, child." He held her closer in his arms, like a father would to his children. "How about you, your highness? What are you doing in a place like this?" He turned to the boy behind him. He was still in a daze, but the word 'highness' reawaken him. For a moment, the boy kept quiet but he told his story.

"I'm a prince in Hamret and last night, I killed everyone in my castle. Then I set it on fire and the peasants ran after me. But I was good in running away. So they didn't catch me. Ushishi~" He playfully twiddled his fingers amongst the glossy grass, wiping away dewdrops. "How about you, mister. How did you get here?" The girl asked in a whisper.

"Me? Well I was just on my way back home—"

"Is it a small peasants' home?" The prince asked, eyeing the man from head to toe. He was wearing a plain white shirt with a little scratch here and there and a pair of velvety pants.

"N-no, but it's a huge castle—"

"A castle?!" Both the children exclaimed. They couldn't believe it. The man is old, and his clothes were so…plain. How can he live in a castle?

"Yes - I know! I have people there that can take care of you. Do you want to live with me?" He let go of the girl, who has stopped crying at last. The blonde boy neared them and, though he can't see it, he knows his eyes were twinkling.

"I do! Can I kill stuff there?"

"What a coincidence! Do you know what my job is?" He asked them playfully. "I'm an assassin." He whispered as silently as possible. The youngsters were baffled.

"COOL! I WANNA BE ONE! ~" Exclaimed the small prince.

"What's an … assassin?" Innocently, the girl asked, tugging the old man's pants.

"An assassin is someone who is paid for killing people. Don't you know that?" The prince answered her, patting her head.

"Th-they kill people?! Then, mister…" Her eyes were trembling with fear. Blankly, she started backing away, away from the murderers in front of her.

"Don't be afraid. I only kill when there is a reward in return; otherwise, I'm just a defenseless puppy." He smirked sarcastically. Why was he giving up so much time over these two youngsters? He doesn't know. Maybe because he misses his childhood? Perhaps. But it doesn't seem so.

The little girl was still in a daze. She was afraid of killing, as she regarded what happened last night. But she needed a home, and this old man offers her one.

When none of the two kids spoke a word for a while, the man introduced himself.

"My name is Tyr." He patted the blonde prince's head and said, "You said you wanna go home with me? Are you up for the challenges of being an assassin, kid?"

"Ushishishi. Of course! I am a prince after all!"

"How about you little girl, will you be coming as well?"

"…If I come with you, does that mean I have to be an assassin too?" she asked, eyes dimmed.

"Hmm… not actually. It's your choice, but I promise my home is one of the safest in the world, if I do say so myself." '_Safe? I wonder though…'_

"Okay then. I don't have any place to go… so please take care of me, Mr. Tyr." She bowed politely. Tyr patted her head and carried her. He held out his hand for the young prince. The boy accepted it. "Okay. Let's go."

"I'm Dez Mercie, by the way…" The girl whispered.

"Nice to meet you Dez. How about you, your highness, what's your name?"

"Belphegor. You can just call me Bel." The prince replied.

"Okay then, Dez, meet Bel. Bel, meet Dez."

**.:.:.:.:.**

"Okay. We're here!" Tyr happily announced as putting down Dez. He stretched up his arms as carrying a girl was heavier than it seems. The youngsters were stumped as their heads shifted upwardly. The front door of Tyr's castle was huge, almost two times as tall as the old man and 5 meters wide. They can clearly see it was a castle, having pointed minarets and full-length windows. The white-washed brick walls were highly intimidating and the ominous aura everything else emitted was scary. It seemed more of a haunted castle, but the occupants were assassins, so it suited them perfectly.

"Uwaaah~" Both of them said in awe.

"Wait till you see inside." He opened the door and it creaked as it did. A red carpeted hallway was revealed and golden furniture was displayed along the way. A knight was standing guard by the entrance and a pretty crystal chandelier was wavering just above.

"Oh, welcome back, boss. How'd the— and who are these two?" A boy with spiky brown hair nonchalantly asked. He just crossed from a room going to the opposite side. He was a teenager, about 13-15 years of age, Bel assumed.

"Ahh, these are our two new recruits, Dez and Bel—"

"That's Prince Bel to you." Bel corrected, his tiara tilted.

"Err, right. And Prince Bel. I found them on my way back. The 'prince' assassinated his own family last night and this little girl's hometown was attacked by nomadic bandits. They said they wanted to join our family." Tyr explained as more members gathered in front of them.

"Oh, boss, but they're too young." One female said.

"No, I didn't mean it that way. They just need a place to call home right now. Teaching them to kill will come in later. Besides, Dez is not in favor of becoming an assassin." Tyr again explained, taking off his boots and giving it to the brown head boy.

"Lussuria, can you bring this to my office?" The brown head boy nodded and quickly received the pair of boots. "Oh, and call Marina Ylutide as well."

"And Leviathan," he pointed to a guy behind a girl in the first row, "take off your piercings. You're too young to wear them." He ordered and the boy named Leviathan bowed, apologizing.

Soon after, Tyr led the two new recruits to the dining hall where breakfast was just about to be served. He sat at his throne and the prince and the peasant sat opposite to each other on the chairs nearest the boss.

"Dez, Bel," He said as the long dining table was almost filled with people, "Welcome to the Varia, the world's number one assassination group."

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I think the Prologue went well XD

Reviews are welcome. And Happy Birthday again to the two Princes!


	2. Chapter 1

**December 25, 2012.**

**JOY TO THE WORLD! OUR LORD HAS COME.**

Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy your holidays.

_**Warning: Failed attempt on fluff scenes, OOC Varia, and awkward moments.**_

I do not own KHR, Amano Akira does~

* * *

**Kiss a Frog – Chapter 1**

"Ne, sempai. Tell me again," Fran said in his usual monotonous voice. "Why are we cleaning the attic?" He picked up a box and moved it neatly next to another box.

"Because you messed up the mission again. Jeez." Bel replied, sorting out items from a box. "The prince does not deserve to clean such a filthy attic. Shishi. Eeh?" He stopped. A book-like object has caught his attention.

"What is it, sempai?" Fran leaned over Bel's shoulder to take a peek at what his superior had discovered. "A photo album?"

"This brings back memories, shishi~" Amused, the prince carried the album and went to the door. "Come on, froggie. I want everyone to see this, especially Luss-nee and Levi-baka."

"Eeh? But sempai, the cleaning!" Fran protested, not wanting to get punished by Xanxus again.

"We can always do that later, besides…" Bel's voice trailed off, as if the album made him emotional. "…I haven't seen her face in a while…" He mumbled.

"Did you say something, Bel-sempai?"

"Hurry up, or you'll miss the fun~"

**.:.:.:.:.**

"OOOOOOHHHHH!" Was the only noise heard when Bel opened the album and showed it to everyone in the Varia. Fran lost his deadpanned voice and joined the others in shock. Nobody might have noticed, but Xanxus gave a twitched look before he turned his head away from the disturbing pictures.

"Luss-nee, you were that handsome?!" Fran croaked. Lussuria giggled.

"Yes~ Girls fall for me every single day. It was fun, being around with girls. So I thought, being a girl would be fun too~!" Replied Lussuria, grinning at what he looked like years ago.

"Oh, and this is Levi-baka. Look how short he was." Bel pointed to a young boy of 15. He had a Mohawk hairstyle that made him look taller than his height. He had piercings all over his face. But what distinguished him more are his pimples.

"D-don't look at that! I look like a squash that got trampled on!" Levi attempted to grab hold of the album from Bel's hands. "Ushishishi~ He was at the peak of puberty when I joined, so he looked really ugly. Most of the girls were hanging out with Luss-nee, and he was always forgotten by the ladies." Bel joked. His childhood memories were flashing right in front of him, as if reliving them again.

"N-no I didn't! Dez never forgot about me! Ooops—" Levi stammered.

"Ahh! Levi!" Lussuria covered Levi's mouth with his hand. "Sah-sorry about that Bel-chan. You know he didn't say that on purpose, right, Levi?" He nudged Levi's side. Levi nodded. "Sorry."

Bel was staring at the two, then to the other people who were staring at him, then to Fran, who asked him a question. "Who's Dez?"

Bel's grin suddenly vanished. He closed the book and hand it over to Lussuria. "You can continue looking at the pictures without me. I'm not interested anymore. Ciao~" With that, the prince left the room.

"What was that about?" Squalo asked, pouring wine into Xanxus' glass.

"Ahh~ Dez is a taboo topic for our little prince." Lussuria started explaining. "Before, when Tyr was still our boss," cue a growl from Xanxus and Squalo, "and women were still allowed to join us," cue growls from the men who didn't know, "Bel and Dez were recruited together. They would always train together, sleep together, play together. In short, they were very close to each other, like a brother and sister would."

"Wait, so where'd the women go?" Asked Fran, his voice sounding interested.

"Years later, the women rebelled, saying that they were being discriminated. Then, the leader of the women's division, Marina Ylutide, gathered all the females and ran away, including Dez. Bel was hurt by that, since he never even said 'good-bye' to her. We heard that they created their own assassination group called 'The Rose Thorn', but we were strictly commanded not to communicate with them." Lussuria wiped a tear.

"Then Lussuria became gay." Levi announced all of a sudden. Laughter followed. The serious tension in the air temporarily died down.

"Oooooh~ Levi-chan, way to ruin to mood~" Lussuria wiggled his butt in despair.

"So this Dez person is important to Bel-sempai? That's why he's gone quite all of a sudden." Fran stared at where Bel was standing before he walked out.

"Ara~ here's a picture of Dez and Bel. See? Those two are really close." Lussuria showed a page. Both sides were completely full of pictures of Bel and Dez together. One picture showed Dez was holding a small amphibian in her hands and Bel running away from Dez. Fran looked up to Lussuria, as if asking its meaning.

"Bel-chan was afraid of frogs back then and he would usually run away or kill the poor creatures with his knives. But he overcame it when Dez gave him a bottle full of tadpoles for his birthday and both of them raised them together." Lussuria laughed, Levi too. And some other guys saw the same scene.

"Those two. They've been together for so long. Tearing them apart was the greatest force their fragile hearts could take." Levi spoke. The room went silent.

Fran suddenly had his eyes fixed on the pictures. Especially those that have solo images of Dez.

"Jealous, Fran?" The frog was taken aback.

"N-no. Why would I be?"

"A~re~ If it weren't for Dez-chan, then Bel-chan wouldn't have a liking to you. And you wouldn't be dating each other."

"We're not dating. And I'm not a frog."

"In Bel's eyes, you are."

"Kawaii~ Then, would you take this photo album and give it to Bel-chan? This may hurt him, but it may cause him to move on. Dez's gone now. He should be enjoying his new life with you. You want that, right? Besides, it's not healthy to be living in the past." Lussuria shoved the album in Fran's hands and pushed him out the living room door.

Fran knocked three times at Bel's bedroom door. "Sempai, are you in there?" He heard a low voice. "Can I come in?"

The door opened and out came Bel, his hair was a mess, and his eyes were almost showing. Fran could have sworn they were red from crying.

"What do you want, froggie?"

"Luss-nee wanted me to give this to you." He showed the album, handing it over to Bel.

"I don't need i—"

"He told me to tell you, 'Move on, Belphegor.'"

**.:.:.:.:.:.**

Miles and miles away from the Varia Main Household, the Rose Thorn Headquarters stood. Like the Varia, their base is deep inside an army of trees, hiding them from the outside world. On the rooftop were the ladies who were on duty with the laundry.

"Oh, isn't it that time of year again?" A girl with short pink hair asked.

"What is?" A second voice asked in return. Her almond-blonde hair swayed as a gentle breeze passed by.

"You know, the 'What I Wish Lottery'." Answered pink haired lady.

"You mean that special event held once a year?"

"That's the one. When your name gets picked in the lottery, our Boss can grant your wish, no matter how crazy it is." The first lady said in excitement.

"What do you wish for this year, Andrea?" The almond blonde asked.

"Me? Well, I-I, uh, I want to quit and se-settle down. H-how about you, Dez?" Andrea answered hesitantly.

"I want to visit some friends of mine. I haven't seen them in years." Dez replied.

"You mean the Varia men? But, I don't think Boss can…" Andrea stammered. The Varia is strictly a topic not to be discussed within the perimeters.

"Marina can grant me that wish. You said it yourself. She'll grant the wish, no matter how crazy it is." Dez smiled. She hung the last bed sheet and started walking towards the door. "Come on, Andrea. We don't want to miss entering our names for the lottery."

_-The day of the Lottery_-

"…And the lucky lady to get her wish granted… Here goes~!" Marina Ylutide, the current Boss of the Rose Thorn, lifted up the lottery box, shook it a couple of times, opened the lid and took out a piece of paper. "The winner is…" Enthusiastically, she read the winner's name. "Dez Mercie from the Night Shadows Department! Congratulations!"

Cheers and applauds were heard all over the House's living room.

"Now, let's see what her wish is… 'My wish is to visit the Varia...' Oka— Wait, WHAT?!"

Gasps and murmurs went around. All eyes turned to the almond blonde named Dez Mercie.

"We-well, you said you c-can gra-grant a-any w-wish… So I thought th-that maybe…" She hesitated, eyes all falling upon her. Then the same eyes shifted towards their Boss.

Marina sighed. "Alright, fine. Wish granted. I'll only give you a week to visit, so pack your bags, Mercie."

"Y-yes! Thank you, Marina."

**.:.:.:.:.**

Summer was just around the corner, but the cool, spring breeze still lingers. Bel just finished wrapping up a gift for Fran. Though it's not the frog's birthday, he kind of felt like giving him a gift. '_I'll be a nice guy, for today only.'_

"Bel-chan~ Snack time!" Lussuria's voice echoed in the corridors.

"Coming." Bel responded. _'I'm going to give him this today, shishi~.'_

Humming a song under his breath, Bel went out of his room holding his gift. When he entered the dining hall, everyone was present except for Xanxus and Squalo. All the minions were munching down on Lussuria's freshly baked cookies and gulping down on green tea. Fran was eating standing up, gazing outside the window. The prince snickered.

"Yo Fran." He called out and Fran turned his head to him. "What is it, sempai?"

"Shishi~ The Prince has a gift for you Froggie. Be honored." Slowly, Bel walked to where Fran was standing. He handed over the small box he had in his hands. Fran finished his last cookie before accepting it.

"What is it this time, sempai? Another bottle of flies?" Fran said, his usual monotonous voice never wavered, but his heart was beating faster than usual. The atmosphere the prince gave was giving is a little different today. He felt at ease.

"Open it." Bel ordered, and Fran obeyed. He pulled the ribbon and unwrapped the wrapper. In it was a box, smaller than a box weapon. Fran then opened the box and what he saw made his eyes doubled in size.

A rhinestone heart-shaped necklace was inside the box.

"Will you be mine, Fran?" Bel spoke, his gaze only on the teal head before him, his smile wider than usual. The other Varia men stopped silent in what they are doing, focusing their eyes on the two.

"You said to me back then, 'Move on, Belphegor.' And I did. Dez was a thing in the past and I shouldn't be wasting my time on a person who's not even here anymore." The prince took the necklace out of its box, played with it a little before hanging it around Fran's neck.

"I decided to live a new life, and I want you to live it with me. Will you, Fran?" Bel leaned closer to Fran. The younger's face was obviously red.

"Who are you and what did you do to sempai?" Fran said, but his voice wavered.

Suddenly, Bel kissed Fran.

At the same moment, the living room door opened. Luss-nee came in. Behind him was a face unknown to the Varia.

"A~ra?! How cute~! Bel finally confessed to Fran." Lussuria wiggled in delight. "Too bad I didn't see it! Do it again, Bel-chan!"

Bel and Fran broke the kiss and their heads turned to Lussuria.

"Shishi~ No way—Who's that?" Bel's grin turned into a frown. It was weird. Luss-nee was accompanying a woman inside the mansion. Was she a client? Probably. She just stood there, stiff as a statue. Who couldn't blame her? Two guys just kissed right in front of her.

"Ahh! I almost forgot. Minna~ We have a guest. She was part of Varia too, a long, long time ago. Her name i—" Lussuria was cut short. Bel was the first person to recognize who she was.

"You can't p-possibly be… D-Dez?!" Bel stuttered, as if saying her name was the hardest thing to do.

". . . ! . . ." By the sound of her name, the lady regained posture. She smiled awkwardly.

"N-nice to see you too, Belphegor. It's been a while."

**loOoOoOoOol**

_Dear Diary,_

_Today, I arrived at my second home, the Varia Mansion. A lot have changed, especially Luss-nii. Now, he wants me to call him Luss-nee! Haha. Levi's grown a mustache and the new Boss was scary. I was frozen solid as I talked to him about my stay. The long haired guy was intimidating too. I heard he was the one who killed Tyr. But the sight of his silky hair, waaaah~ I want to know what shampoo he uses!_

_Andrea has warned me that men can go crazy whenever near women, especially those who haven't been in the company of women in a long time. But Luss-nii, I mean, Luss-nee said he'll protect me from those 'savages'. Haha._

_Lastly, I especially came here to see my childhood friend, and my first love, Bel. But wow. I came back to my home, and the first thing I saw was my beloved, and he was kissing a frog._

_I don't think I can sleep peacefully tonight._

_Love,_

_Dez Mercie._

* * *

Uhh. I never thought of writing B26 would be this hard =_=

Anyways, I hope you guys like Chapter 1. I had 'fun' writing it XD

Kindly leave reviews. I'll highly appreciate it.


	3. Chapter 2

**December 28, 2012.**

**ANOTHER CHAPTER FINISHED!**

I really like this chapter. I had a tough time writing emotions. And with the same reason, you may not like it, because it's too vague. I still haven't improved since my first fanfic. But I really love this one. I hope you guys love it too.

Fuyuki- Dude. Dude. Dude. You're gonna kill me for making Fran cry XD

* * *

**Kiss a Frog – Chapter 2**

On the first day of Dez's stay at the Varia mansion, it was pure silence. The men were being glared upon by Lussuria, Levi was, as usual, behind wagging his tail behind Xanxus, Squalo left for a mission, and Bel was avoiding eye contact with Dez. Fran was, on the other hand, had his eyes fixated on Dez.

Comparing the Dez now from the pictures he'd seen earlier, she had long wavy hair that reached to her waist. Her curves were complimented by the one-piece summer dress she wore. She's more feminine now, and her smile made the men swoon.

"Ne, Dez-chan, why the sudden visit?" Lussuria asked, walking along beside her. He was giving a tour to Dez, showing her around the mansion. Not far from behind were the interested men, including Fran. Bel was with the crowd too, but he was far behind, deep thought.

Dez giggled. "Hmm… It's a long story, but let's just say I had Marina finally agreed on letting me visit you guys. Plus, I'm planning to visit Tyr's grave." She said, shifting her head from side to side, examining the corridors and the rooms. "Oh? This staircase leads to the attic right?" She pointed. Lussuria nodded.

"I don't recommend you go there. Bel and Fran still hasn't finished cleaning up the attic." Commented Lussuria. Fran was about to protest when Bel finally said something.

"Don't tell me you want to go 'there'? Shishi~ Mischievous as always." Bel suddenly changed. His Cheshire cat grin was back. He took a few steps forward and handed a knife to Dez. The knife was smaller than the usual knives Bel has, and it look as if it hasn't been polished for a long time now.

"Y-you," Dez stuttered. '_Creepy. Bel became creepier with that smile now. Haha.'_ Dez accepted the knife and grinned as well.

"Ushishishi~ Ne, Luss-nee, I'll take it from here. Dez and I have a lot of catching up to do." Bel took Dez's hand and pulled her up towards the stairs. "And don't come looking if we're late for dinner!"

"Ahh! But Bel, what abou—" Dez was about to say that Fran was looking at them and he should explain the situation to him, but Bel stopped her.

"Come on, Dez. It's not the same when you're not 'there'." With that, Bel and Dez went up the stairs.

'_Where is 'there', exactly?'_ Was the thought of the men. _'Geez, Bel shouldn't be the only one enjoying the company of a woman. That selfish prince.'_

"If you bastards are thinking of something perverted, then clean up your minds. Honestly, Bel-chan won't do something like that in the presence of Fran-chan, right?" They shifted their gazes to Fran, who was looking at the stairs. Fran gave a half-hearted nod. "Let's leave those two. They haven't seen each other for 15 years already~ Now shoo-shoo." Lussuria made a gesture and shoved everyone out of the corridor. Fran was left, still gazing at the steps of the stairs.

"But is it really okay, though…?" He asked himself. He then unconsciously touched the necklace Bel gave to him.

**.:.:.:.:.**

Rustling about inside the Varia attic, the Prince moved boxes from one side of the room to the other. Dez was asked to stand still and let the work be done by the prince. When finally finished, a hidden door appeared behind the last box Bel moved.

"Ara~ So it's still here, huh?" Dez leaned closer. She took the rusty knife Bel gave her and inserted it into the hole on the hidden door. She turned it and the door opened with a creaky noise. "Ohh? You haven't been entering this place for a while now, have you?" She accused.

"Shishi~ I told you, didn't I? It's not the same without you with me. And Tyr never did found out about this place." He gestured for her to enter the secret passageway first. He then followed.

The passageway leads to a windowless room. It had another door opposite to the one where the couple had entered. Dez opened the other door and it lead to a small veranda on the rooftop. A strong gust of wind pushed Dez back. Bel caught her.

"Thanks." She said.

"This place brings memories." Bel stretched his arms and heaved a deep sigh.

"Yeah." The two decided to sit on the floor, gazing out to the army of trees and the mountains in the scenery. As if playing back a tape, their whole childhood rushed through their minds and made them feel nostalgic.

"Hey, remember that time when we were hanging out here and we used to skip Tyr's and Marina's lessons?" Bel chuckled.

"Yeah. They never did find us, and would shout at us the following day, making us eat oatmeal for breakfast, lunch and dinner." Dez chuckled with him. She then remembered a memory.

"Eeeh, wasn't it on a windy day like this that your clothes got blown away by the wind and you had to wear my dresses for three days? Haha. You look more feminine than I was back then." She nudged Bel's arm.

"Shishi. I am a prince after all. Any type of clothing will suit me, even girls'." He grinned, crossing his arms behind his head and lying on the floor.

"So you decided that liking a boy like a girl does would suit you too, right?" Dez's tone suddenly turned dark. Her face sunk, which made Bel turn to look at her.

"Oi," he said and she looked his way. "I…I never wanted you to see me that way. I love Fran, but I'm not gay."

"I never thought of you as gay, Bel. It's just that, well, it was a shock for me to see you like that… Plus, if you really love someone, then you wouldn't be embarrassed to shout it to the world." She smiled. Standing up, he held out her hands. "Come on, shout it out. I'm sure Fran would love it."

"Hey, this isn't a shoujo man—"

"BELPHEGOR WA BAKA!"

"Oi!"

"Shout it out, your feelings. And if you don't, I'll shou—"

"Alright already . . . — SUKI GA, FRAN!"

"Great! Feel any better?"

"More like embarrassed." He pounded Dez's head and pouted. Suddenly, a gunshot was heard from down below. It seemed like the shouts awakened Xanxus from his nap. And Squalo isn't there to restrain him on his rampage.

"Ehehehe… Your boss sure is scary."

"Whatever. Let's go before he catches us."

**loOoOoOoOoOol**

_Dear Diary,_

_Today is my first day in the Varia. Dozens of things has changed. For example, the rooms became grander and bigger too. Well, the castle I first saw back then grew bigger to accumulate more workers. The room where the women's quarters were before is now the kitchen and the dining room. There are more furniture and other decorations. But what has changed most is the Boss' room. During Luss-nee's tour, he told me that Xanxus ordered all of Tyr's things to be burned. I wasn't so happy about that information. But only a photo album was spared. Luss-nee said; 'only things that have that bastard Tyr's face should be burned.' And luckily, the photo album has no pictures of Tyr. Haha. _

_But good thing Bel showed me on thing that hasn't changed. It's our secret getaway. I had fun recalling memories with him back in the veranda. But it pains me that he has changed too. Urgh, what am I saying? I love Bel. But Bel already has Fran. And they look really cute together. I feel as if I'm unwanted in Bel's life, yet I cling on to every moment he wants to offer with me. _

_I should move on now. Things have changed. These feelings of mine are unwanted, unneeded, unrequited. And I have to respect his life. I have to be happy for him._

_Love,_

_Dez Mercie_

**.:.:.:.:.:.**

On Dez's second day at the Varia, she decided to go visit Tyr's grave. Luckily, Squalo came back the night before. Since he was the last one to ever see of Tyr, he probably knew where his body was.

"Oh, come on, Squ-squ~" Lussuria reasoned. "You can just show her where you last saw of Tyr and leave her there."

"Leave a helpless woman in the middle of nowhere?" Squalo said.

"Helpless?" Dez said, amused. "It may not look like it, but I'm the Head of Night Shadows Department. I can handle myself pretty well. Tee-hee~"

"Well I don't give a damn." The swordsman sighed. "Let's get this over with."

Finally, Squalo agreed and escorted Dez to a clearing a few miles away from the Varia base. She saw that there was a pond near the clearing. Squalo pointed somewhere over to the other side of the pond. There, a huge lump of earth can be seen.

"He said he wanted to be buried near this pond." Squalo explained. His brows twitched as if recalling a dreadful memory. "I got you here, so I can leave you now."

"Nn. Thanks." Dez nodded. She started walking towards the mound of earth when Squalo said, "Be careful though. It seems like someone has been following us this whole time." Again, Dez nodded.

When she was sure Squalo has completely left her, she placed a flower on Tyr's grave and prayed a small prayer. Afterwards, she looked around the place, smiling as a breeze passed by.

"Ushishishi~" She suddenly heard. Dez quickly turned around and saw Bel coming out from the shadows. His Cheshire cat grin present as always. "That shark's unfair. He never told me where he buried Tyr's body, yet he showed you." Bel was carrying blood-red roses, Tyr's favorite. Dez can see the bruises from Bel's hands as he placed the roses next to Dez's offering. He, too, mustered a small prayer.

"Belphegor. . .?" Inquired the lady, eyes squinting from the reflection from the prince's tiara. The blonde grinned at her.

"Geez, give me your hands."

"What?"

"You picked roses from Luss-nii's garden again and your hands are all bruised from the roses' thorns. Give them to me and I'll clean them." From her bag, she put out a small bottle of alcohol and damped her handkerchief with it.

"Hey, you know what this place is right?" The prince asked after Dez disinfected his right hand.

"Yeah. This is where the three of us first met." Dez answered, her eyes focusing on the wounds of the prince. "You never did changed, Bel."

"Excuse me? Ouch!" He winced.

"Sorry! . . . I really miss the good old days."

"Me too."

After cleaning out Bel's bruises, there was a total silence in the area. None spoke a word and only the rustling of the leaves against the wind can be heard. The two sat closely next to Tyr's grave and started admiring the sky.

"Hey Bel. I always wanted to ask."

"Yeah?"

"What made you love Fran?"

As if lightning has struck him, Bel was immobilized. His heart started to beat faster and he started to blush. In his mind, the question raced around back and forth. What indeed? Because Fran taught him to move on. Because he taught him that grieving over the past can never change the present. And because he needed someone to love him. Someone who can fill up the empty spaces Dez left when she ran away with the Varia women. But, deep inside, he felt that those weren't the right answers.

"I-I don't mean to pry, but I was just curious, you know, being your childhood friend and all." She started stuttering when Bel hasn't spoken anything yet.

"What made me love Fran? For starters . . ." Bel caught Dez's eyes and he stared deeply into hers. "It's because of you." Their faces were closer to each other now, and Dez started to show signs of blushing. She panicked for a bit but even if she can't see them, she knew the prince's gazed was on her.

"M-me? What do y-you mean?" She noticed that Bel was leaning closer to her every second, which made her heart run a marathon. She tried moving away but it seemed her body was petrified by Bel's stare.

"Because I, I. . ." Faces only inches away, Bel answered, "Because I **love** you."

"You wha—" Before she could comprehend his answer, she felt a soft, warm feeling against her lips. It was for a second later that she realized that Bel, her childhood love, is kissing her. Her eyes doubled in size and she quickly pushed him away.

"Bel, I . . . it's wrong for . . . us to be doing this. . ." she looked at the ground. "I'm sorry I even asked you that question."

"No, Dez. Let me explain!" Bel grabbed hold of Dez's hand and pulled her closer to hug her. "All these years, I've been waiting for you to return. There was never a day that you weren't in my mind." In his grasps, Dez was struggling hard to let go. But she can't. 15 years of endless training caught her between the arms of the one she love.

"No, Bel. Stop. You can't love me! What about, what about Fran?! You love him, not me." Tears started forming in the lady's eyes. Her heart can't take it anymore. It was frustrating to see the person you love the most love somebody else. And then you forced yourself to forget your feelings for him, but then he suddenly says he loves you. Whose heart can't handle that?

"I love you Dez, only you. It's because I love you for all those years that I came to love Fran. You were gone in the blink of an eye and my heart just shattered to pieces. But Fran fixed my broken heart and I was able to start anew. With him, I was able to forget, but when I saw you again, I realized I still love you."

"Bel-sempai," But amidst the dramatic/romantic scene, a new voice emerged. It seems Fran was the one tailing Dez and Squalo half an hour ago.

"Fran?" Both said in unison.

"You used me to make you forget her. You fooled me with your words. You told me you love me, but in fact, you still love her!" Fran wasn't wearing his frog hat at that time, showing his distrust to the prince. Far worse than not wearing the hat, he clutched the necklace Bel gave to him and threw it at him. "I hate you!" He then started crying. Dez went to explain the situation, but Fran ran away.

"F-fran. . ." The almond-blonde said.

Behind her, the prince was punching the ground with his fist. He hasn't noticed that his tiara has fallen off his head.

Not knowing what to do, Dez took the initiative to leave. "I'm going back first. Please think about what you said, Belphegor. You're not the only one suffering."

'_I'm sorry Tyr. We caused such a ruckus while visiting your grave.'_

**.:.:.:.:.:.**

Bel returned back late that afternoon. Lussuria, Squalo, Levi and Dez were expecting him at the main door. Fran was also there, but his frog hat was gone. His eyes were red as a cherry and his nose was runny. Lussuria must have forced him to stop crying. Dez was in the same bad shape as Fran. Plus she has her bags with her.

"Ahh~ Bel-chan. Okaeri nasai." Lussuria greeted, as if the two depressed assassins weren't around. "What took you so long, huh? Dez-chan here said she's gonna return back to Rose Thorn! Please make her stay." Lussuria pleaded with a wiggle from his butt. But Bel didn't move nor said anything.

"I'm really sorry, Luss-nii, I mean, Luss-nee, but an emergency's an emergency. Tee-hee~" Dez forced out a smile and it worried Lussuria. The other men seemed not to mind.

"But~ Dez-chan, Marina will never let you visit us again."

"It's for the better, Lussuria." Dez's tone suddenly became serious. Hearing Dez say his name without the honorifics made Lussuria quiet.

"I'll be going now."

Bel didn't move an inch from where he was standing. When Dez reached him, she stopped.

"I'm sorry if my visit ruined your relationship with Fran. My main reason to come here is you, Bel. Because I . . ." She started crying again. "Because I love you too. Good bye."

Dez continued walking on, leaving Bel where he was. Under those untrimmed bangs, tears flowed down the prince's eyes. He remembered the last time he cried was when Dez left 15 years ago. Now, he's crying again, and for the same reason.

**loOoOoOoOoOol**

_Dear Diary,_

_Marina shouted at me for knocking obnoxiously loud at the front door in the middle of the night. I didn't catch my bus on time, so I had to walk. Plus she yelled at me for getting back three days early. I didn't answer her though, but I guess I have to think of something to explain to her tomorrow. Maybe I can joke it off like, "Boss, the reason I came home is because my lips' lost their virginity." Or something like that. A heart break is not easy to explain, especially to an angered boss._

_Andrea and the other girls were waiting for me tell them of my stay. But I told them I don't have the energy to tell stories, so they agreed to wait until tomorrow. I can't wait to see Luss-nee's ex-girlfriends when they found out he became gay. Haha._

_I never thought that things would go this way. I hurt Bel for leaving him years ago. Bel used Fran as a tool to forget his feelings for me. Fran loved Bel very much, but got hurt when he found out about Bel's true intentions for him. While I, I got hurt because I loved Bel who 'loved' Fran which caused me to think that my feelings are unwanted. But in the end, Bel loves me and I love him still. It could have been a happy ever after, but I feel sorry for Fran. I don't know what to do with this kind of relationship. I don't want anybody hurt, especially Fran._

_I guess there's nothing I could do about it now. I ran away again._

_Dez Mercie_

* * *

Please don't forget to leave a review!

**Question:**

Which do you prefer:

-Bel and Dez

-Bel and Fran

Gomen, random question XD


	4. Chapter 3

**December 31, 2012.**

**Advance Happy New Year guys~! Thank you for reading this fan fic of mine.**

Fuyuki - dude, where are you? Did the mink and the bat finally got to you?

Jeropi The Dog – I'm still waiting for it . . .

Anyways, I hope I satisfy you guys with this chapter. It seems its end is coming close.

* * *

**Kiss a Frog – Chapter 3**

**loOoOoOoOoOol**

_Dear Diary,_

_Today I realized how stupid I was for what I've done when I visited the Varia. I mean, I wasn't in the right position to comment on Bel's life. He's not a kid anymore. And I'm not the one responsible for him anymore. He has his own life to follow. Tyr's gone, and both of us have grown up._

_I guess what I'm saying is that I should move on, for real this time. By now, Fran and Bel should have made up and are probably all lovey-dovey again with each other. Maybe I should follow Andrea's route and settle down as well —_

**loOoOoOoOoOol**

It was in the middle of a storm when Dez was writing her diary. But when lightning struck the heavens, she stopped. No, she wasn't afraid of lightning. She just saw Fran outside her bedroom window. Swiftly, she opened her window and tried to talk to Fran, but the teal-head won't say a word. She jump outside and shook Fran's shoulders but the frog just look away.

"What are you doing here, Fran? Why aren't you answering? Urgh. Come inside, or both of us will—" She was cut short when she heard Marina's voice behind her, coming from her bedroom.

"Mercie, you ha— Another one? For the love of! Bring him in the lobby, and use the front door." Marina sighed annoyingly and exited Dez's room. Confused, Dez followed her boss' orders and lead Fran by the hand towards the front door. She gasped when she saw muddy boots at the entrance.

Once she and Fran entered the front door, ladies were already brushing them with warm towels. Andrea came forward and squealed in front of Dez. "Oh my gosh, Dez! You never—" But the sight of Fran made her stop. "Uh, I mean. Boss is waiting for you in the lobby. You better hurry up."

Dez lost all senses when she entered the lobby. Not only was a pissed Marina Ylutide was present, but also the main Varia force, all dripping wet. Xanxus was present too, much to her surprise. Before anyone could utter a word, Lussuria squeaked.

"Fuuuuraaaaaan~! There you are! We've been looking everywhere for you!" Getting off from his chair, he ran to Fran and snake his snaky hands, hugging him. "Ahhh~! Dez-chan is here too!" He hugged her as well.

"Lussuria, calm down, you slimy excuse for a human being!" Marina shouted. Lussuria stopped at what he was doing.

"And you, Varia, who gave you the permission to come here?!" She asked but no one answered. The two bosses just glared at each other. "Well?"

"B-but Marina, we just came here to pick up Fran. He was missing for three whole days!" Levi said, pointing towards the teal-head, trying as much not to tremble in front of the Rose Thorn's boss.

"Well, you've found him, so get out!"

"VOOOIIII! WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM, WOMAN?!" Squalo snapped, waving his mechanical arm/sword in the air.

"Shishi~ Before we go," Bel stood up and walked towards Dez. From god-knows-where, he gave Dez the photo album of the old Varia. "Here. I was supposed to give this to you on your last day, but since you left early, I wasn't able to do so."

Dez hesitated to accept because Fran was intensely staring at them. But in the end, she accepted the token. "Nn, thanks." She muttered, avoiding eye contact.

"Well, bye-bye then. Sorry for causing you trouble." Levi bowed multiple times in front of Marina. He from experience that a pissed Marina is even scarier than a pissed Xanxus. Plus, he believes she's in her menopausal stage, which adds to the scary factor.

One by one, Xanxus and Squalo stood up and slowly walked to the front and the others soon followed. Fran was dragged by Lussuria, while Bel had a quick glaring contest at Dez, but the latter refused to look up at him. Under the pouring rain, the male assassins grudgingly walk through the storm.

"Mercie. Be at my office at daybreak."

**loOoOoOoOoOol**

_Dear Diary,_

_Sorry for not finishing the previous entry, but the rain managed to get it wet somehow. And now I'm too tired of writing to you. Marina wants me in her office tomorrow, and I'm nervous if I'm gonna be kicked out or I'll get killed-on-the-spot._

_I don't know why everything that has happened just happened. It made matters worse._

_Dez Mercie_

**.:.:.:.:.:.**

Before the sun even had the chance to paint the morning sky with its colors, Dez was already waiting outside Marina's office. She couldn't sleep at all the previous night. And, by instinct, she even packed her bags and filled them with her belongings.

The moment Marina opened the door and led Dez in, Dez knew she was in trouble. It was somehow her fault for bringing the Varia here in the Rose Thorn base, and she feels like she's gonna get punished for it. But, if her memory serves her correctly, Marina never gave any harsh punishments. She always loves the women. And she's one of her most favorite students.

"What is it, Boss?" Dez gulped as tension filled the air. Slowly outside the office's window, the sun started to rise, giving light to the havoc the storm caused the previous night.

"I'm giving you your last mission. And base from your performance last night, its best that you accept it." Marina coldly handed over an envelope on her desk. Dez took hold and opened it.

"I assumed you packed your bags? Well pack everything you've got. That's a permanent job. You're getting your filthy ass out of this monstrous den." Sipping her warm coffee, Marina studied Dez's expression as she read the contents of the envelope.

"But this is—!"

"Listen, this is an offer of a life time. When you kill that person, you'll get to inherit his fortunes. Everything, Dez, everything. You just have to marry him and then, kill him." The last sentence made Dez shivered. Her boss was right. This was an offer of a lifetime. Not only will you inherit his fortunes, but her life as an assassin will be gone forever.

"Let me ask you, how many times did you beg me to partner you when going on missions? How many times did you fail on killing a target? How many times did you whine about going back home? Many to mention, Dez. Just too many." Marina sighed, eyeing the sun as it rises slowly in the sky.

"You were never cut out for killing, my dear. Tyr and I agreed on that. You were born to love and live free, not locked here doing immoral things. When I received this request, the first one that came to my mind is you — Hey, stop crying!" Marina whined. Dez couldn't hold back her tears. She thanked her boss a thousand times before the tears stopped flowing.

"Our client said he'll pick you up today at 10 am, so better be ready."

**loOoOoOoOoOol**

_Dear Diary,_

_I know it's a little too early for me to be writing to you, but I have news. Rose Thorn has set me free, but I still need to kill someone, which is the worst part. To tell you the truth, I've never stabbed anyone to death before; I only kill them with poison and look away to avoid the face of death. I still remember the day when my whole village died._

_Shooing the negative thoughts, it seems that this targeted person is extremely rich, and whoop-to-doo, a member of the nobility! It wasn't stated in the letter what part of the nobility, but I'm getting nervous. Sure, Bel thought me how to be a proper lady a long time ago, but what if I forgot his lessons? It makes me nervous if the target finds out that I'm not a true blue-blood like he is, then this mission will fail and I'll get myself executed. Ouch. But just to make sure, our client shall tutor me for two whole weeks before I meet my soon-to-be-husband._

_I just have to marry him, then kill him, and all his riches will be mine. Our client assured us of that, I hope. It is said that our client is the target's butler! What a shock. And what's more a shock is that they live in Pliny, my hometown! Gosh I miss that place. I just hope not much has changed since. Pliny's pristine forest and clean, flowing water was our pride and joy back then._

_*sigh* I feel sad leaving Rose Thorn. It has been my home for 15 years. But like what Tyr and Marina said, I'm not cut out for this kind of job._

_Well, good luck for me. Let's see who lives in the end, me or my 'husband'? Haha._

_Love,_

_Dez Mercie_

* * *

AND THAT'S THE END OF CHAPTER 3!

I think the next chapter is the last one, if memory serves me right. But no worries, since it has a prologue, it also has an epilogue and maybe an Omake if I'm up to it.**If 5 persons reviewed about if they want the Omake, then I'll make it!**

But let me tell you, the next chapter will be diary-centric~

Leave your awesome reviews! Do tell me about your thoughts on Dez's mission!

Ja ne! Happy New Year!


	5. Chapter 4

Here is the LAST CHAPTER! Everybody got a happy ending! (I think XD)

* * *

**Kiss a Frog – Chapter 4**

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

_Dez,_

_Hey, we finally found your address, so I thought that maybe we could send each other letters. But after meeting Marina again after these long years, it seems impossible. I can still hope, can I? Well. Once you receive this, reply to me as soon as possible. I really need to talk to you, Dez. I miss you._

_Prince Bel_

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

_Hey Dez,_

_I just thought that maybe Marina's reading my letter before giving it to you, so I'm sending you this one to inform you that I want to meet you at the café where we always hang out when we were kids. It's still standing. I'll wait for you there at 12 noon next Wednesday. We have to talk. Please._

_Bel_

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

_Dez,_

_I waited at the café until they closed. Then it came to me that you might have gone on a mission, or Marina didn't let you out. Sorry about that. I'm being my selfish self again. It's been so lonely since you left and we were never the same again. The minions were acting differently lately too. Maybe because their higher-ups (meaning us, the main force) are acting weird to each other._

_My relationship with Fran slowly tumbled down the drain. We never spoke to each other since we retrieved him from your headquarters. Lussuria's words haven't even reached him. We even risked calling that pineapple illusionist and try to reason with Fran, but in the end, I got tortured in his illusionary world. And up till now, Fran is still in a sorry state. Lussuria suggested that maybe you can talk to him and snap him out of his depression. I already apologize to him. It's driving me crazy, us crazy. Boss even went out on a mission and said that if Fran still hasn't recovered by the time he returns, he'll surely kick our asses and feed them to Bester. My royal ass is no food for a peasant's pet liger._

_Please Dez, can you help us? I'm only lowering my pride just this once, and I'm not doing this again. Don't do it for me, do it for Fran. I'm really confused. I love you Dez, and I love Fran too. It really pains me to see you two suffer because of me, so please, let's patch this hole I've made and move on, okay? I'll be waiting for your arrival at the Varia's front door._

_Bel_

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

_Dez,_

_It's been a month since I sent you my last letter. When are you coming? Fortunately, Xanxus hasn't come back yet and Fran's still hasn't recovered. I need an advisor here, someone who's good at counseling people. If you don't have a plan of coming over yourself, can't you send someone from your house? I'll pay her services. We're really desperate. Fran stopped eating just the other day and he's been locking himself up in his room. He even sealed his windows and made traps inside the ventilation system leading to his room. Someone please save Fran. Or Lussuria's going to commit suicide._

_Bel_

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

_Dez,_

_Thank you for sending Andrea over to us, and as promised, we paid her services, but she refused. It was a great deal of money, but she said, "There was only one thing that could make Fran better again: trust." That was what she said to us before leaving. I asked why weren't you replying to my letters, but she hesitated and answered, "Boss' strictly not allowing her to do so. Hehe." But I don't believe her. My intuitions may not be as accurate as that of Sawada, but I can sense she's lying. She left before we even asked anything else._

_We tried the advices Andrea recommended us on doing: inviting him out to play, bribing him with his favorite activities, treating him like how we treat him before you came over. I volunteered on following it since it's my entire fault anyway. I'll send you any updates about Fran. I know you're a worrywart for other people. And, no, Luss-nee never really said he'll commit suicide._

_Bel_

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

_Dez,_

_Ushishishi~ I'm so happy. After three months of frustrating efforts, Fran finally returned. He's gotten more annoying this time around, bending all my precious knives whenever I throw it at him, but I can feel he's enjoying it deep inside. His usual taunts for me got worse, but he always ends it with a forced smile, which looked creepy but I appreciated it nonetheless. Levi became our official target, pranking him like we used to. The Prince is deeply thankful for this._

_He hides it constantly, but I can see the necklace I gave him wrung around his neck. I hope you're as happy as I am over here. Fran learned to trust me again, and I'm not telling exactly how I did it. Fran said he's been trying to forget the incident and even said that he's sorry for ignoring you. Now that we're all friends again, why don't we go and host a party?_

_Bel_

**.:.:.:.:.:.**

And as usual, Dez never replied to any of Bel's letters. How can she when she never received his letters in the first place? Dez left Rose Thorn the morning after Varia gave the Rose Thorn ladies a surprise visit. She never knew of Bel sending her letters nor Fran's dire situation. The one who's been reading Bel's letters was Marina. And she was the one who sent Andrea, telling her not to tell of Dez's whereabouts. If Bel finds out about Dez's new job, he might chase after her and ruin the mission. Bel was a prince, but he was in no place to take Dez away from her 'soon-to-be-husband'.

She knew of Dez's feelings for Bel and thought that she must move on with him. That's why she chose the mission for her. Plus, she has a pure heart and being an assassin is not of her nature. She just hopes that the mission is going well and Dez is in the proper care of the butler/client.

Half a year after Dez left, Bel sent another letter, saying that he and Fran got back together again, but this time, the letter got returned to its owner, and Marina personally delivered it herself.

"Marina-san . . ." Bel said, shocked at seeing an old comrade standing in front of Varia's front door.

"May I come in? I need to talk to you."

"Ushishishi~ Of course you can. Lucky~! Boss is not around."

Lussuria squealed at seeing a calmer Marina than what he had previously seen. Bel, Fran, Levi and Lussuria gathered in the living room to hear Marina's message.

"Here." She let out a brown envelope and Bel's letters to Dez were inside.

"But these are . . .!"

"Those are the letters you sent to Dez Mercie, but unfortunately, she never read any of them. I'm sorry." Marina apologized, sipping tea and gazing at the blonde prince.

"What do you mean she never read them, all of these are opened!"

"I was the one who read them and I was the one who sent Andrea to help you. Dez left Rose Thorn long before you started sending her letters. I'm sorry to have meddled with your . . . intimate privacy with my colleague."

"What do you mean she left?" Lussuria asked.

"That is personal business."

"You kicked her out of Rose Thorn, didn't you?" Levi accused.

"I did not. And I assure you she's happy where she is right now and there is nothing you people can do about it. Anyways, I'm taking my leave. Farewell, gentlemen." Marina stood up and showed herself to the door. She was, in one way or another, a female Varia boss in every way. The men didn't move an inch till they heard the 'thud' of their front door.

"Ushishishi~ As long as everyone is happy, I'm happy."

Everyone else nodded in agreement.

**loOoOoOoOoOol**

_Dear Diary,_

_Today, I met our client. He doesn't want to give us his name, so he gave us an alias. He said to call him Albert. And as instructed, I packed all my things, including the photo album Bel gave me. I bid farewell to all my friends at Rose Thorn and tried hard not to cry, but in the end, the tears just fell. I'm going to miss this family of mine. Marina gave me a hug and a reassuring pat on the back._

"_If you are on the verge of breaking down and crying, always remember what I told you: 'I'll kill you if one drop of your tear falls.' Okay?" was what she said. Not very encouraging, but that's Marina's way of saying 'good luck'._

_Albert let me stay in one of the summer houses his master owns. There, private tutors will teach me for the next few weeks. It's going to be disastrous on my part, but I endured much worse. _

_There is still one thing that bugs me though. Why does Mr. Albert want his master dead? I asked him that while on the drive to the summer house. He said that his master has a grudge on his brother and he wants to kill him. Mr. Albert knows his master well and if he sets his mind on something, he'll see to it that it is done. But fortunately, he hasn't found his brother yet, but when he inherits his family fortune once he became of legal age, he'll use his family fortune in order to find and kill his brother. Mr. Albert respects his master's parents and doesn't want to waste the family fortune on something so small and plus, his brother might have been dead for who-knows-long and he's just wasting valuable time and energy._

_That's why he hired me, since his master said so himself that if Albert wants to stop his plans, he has to kill him first. I have to kill him first. But then again, Mr. Albert could have done the job by himself. He is his butler after all. He can just poison him. But Mr. Albert explained to me that his master has no more other relatives to inherit the family treasures and by marrying him, I can get hold of the wealth and use it for the greater good. It sounds well-thought. And even I am very impressed: Marry the master to be a part of the nobility and kill him to inherit the family wealth and avoid wasting it on the master's revenge. But I still don't know how to kill him. I guess I can think of something until we get married._

_Even though he explained to me his plans to eradicate his master, it still confuses me. But this is our battle plan: First, he'll train me to be a proper lady and introduce to his master as the long-lost daughter of an Earl of someplace I don't know and state that his late father and my late 'father' willed that both of us are arranged to be married. Then our 'love story' begins there. And when he starts discussing about his plans of finding his long lost brother, that's the time I have to kill him. Oh gosh, it sounded so good, but the killing part is just so hard. What if I fell in love with him and I won't be able to kill him in the end? What if he finds out about my deceptiveness and kills me instead? I guess I just have to see for it myself._

_Mr. Albert asked me not to write to you anymore since the master might find out about you and our plan might be ruined. So, after writing this entry, I will hide you, diary notebook, along with the photo album. Wish me luck, diary-chan. Love yah._

_Dez_

* * *

Whooooosh~! Last Chapter.

But wait! There's still the Epilogue and, if your reviewed "Yes I want an Omake!" then I will make an Omake! XD


	6. Epilogue

**AN EPILOGUE! I made one! Yey!**

**Before you read, **there is an important announcement at the end of the story. And I hope you guys will participate!

* * *

**Kiss a Frog – Epilogue**

Today is Bel and Fran's first anniversary. As a 'gift', Xanxus sent the two on a task together, which is to deliver the rusting Gola Mosca back to the Military. Once finished, the couple happily walked alongside each other back to their base. But something disturbed them. On the dirt pathway, there were visible tire tracks leading to the base.

On the front gates parked a white limousine. Squalo and Levi and the other minions were busily examining and adoring it. If there was a driver inside the car, then he probably would have fainted by now. Most of the Varia men loved cars. And they were drooling at the sight of the branded limousine.

"Squalo-taichou." Fran greeted.

"VOOOIIII. Fran, Bel." Squalo greeted back.

"Shishi. What's this white thing doing here?" Asked Bel, eyeing the car as well.

"Squalo and I just got back from our mission and we saw this car parked up in front of our gates. Maybe we have a new client." Levi guessed. With one final look, the Varia Guardians decided to meet the owner of the white limousine.

"If he owns a limousine, then he must be super rich." Fran commented.

Silently walking down the corridor towards Boss' office, they saw Lussuria scurrying down the hall, holding something they couldn't recognize. But before they could call out his name, he vanished. It seems he was in a hurry.

"Maybe Luss-nee's entertaining the client. I bet Boss' is still taking his afternoon nap and Luss-nee asked our client to wait until he wakes up." Bel hypothesized.

And he was correct. They were about to report their mission to Xanxus, but the liger tamer was snoring on his high back chair. They know better not to disturb their boss when he's sleeping, so the four decided to take a peek at their client. They heard giggles from the living room, so the client must be there.

Bel, being the prince her is, opened the door to the living room, exclaiming, "Prince the Ripper is here. Tadaima~!" Taking a few steps forward and laughing maniacally, Bel shifted his gaze to Lussuria who was pouring tea on an almond-blonde's cup.

"Bel-sempai, you're always attracting the attention of everyone." Fran, Squalo and Levi followed Bel inside. Fran bumped onto Bel's back. "Sempai, why did you stop?"

Instinctively, Fran gazed to the center of the room and he stopped too.

"A~ra? Bel, Fran! It's been such a long time! I missed you two so much." Dez Mercie was calmly sitting on the living room couch, holding a cup of tea. She stood up and greeted Bel and Fran each with a kiss on the cheek. The two lovers were stiff as statues to see their old friend whom they haven't seen for a year appear right in front of them.

"W-what are you doing here?" Bel asked.

"Ah! I was just reading the letters you sent me a year ago. And I'm so sorry I never replied! I'll make up to you two, I promise." In Lussuria's hand was the envelope Marina gave to them half a year ago. Squalo and Levi took a second to grasp what was happening.

Dez was completely different from the last time they saw her a year ago. Today, she was jollier, livelier, and absolutely cheerier than before. Her aura sprinkled flowers and butterflies all over the room, as if she was a maiden in love. Marina was right. She was happy. And it was a good decision to let her go.

Bel couldn't believe it. She's back and on the same date too! Exactly a year ago, Bel saw Dez again after 15 years, now, she returns after no info whatsoever about what happened to her for a whole year. Her smile was wider now, as if she's been smiling since and her features were more lady-like. Her dress complimented her slender body and the accessory on her head made her looked childish, yet with a slight touch of maturity.

"Beeeeel~! Oh, Dez-chan is getting married~!" Lussuria wiggled his butt left and right in excitement. "I am so happy for you, Dez-chan~!"

"Thanks, Luss-nii, ehehe." Dez giggled with Lussuria.

"Ushishishi~ That's great! Congratulations, Dez. I never thought there would be anybody other than me stupid enough to marry you." Fran gave Bel a chop on the head while Dez stepped on Bel's foot. "I was joking, shishi."

"You have my blessings, Dez-sempai." Fran said, handing out a hand and a bouquet of roses appeared out of indigo mist.

"Thank you, Fran." Dez hugged Fran. "You two have my blessings too!"

"So, where's your fiancé? I definitely want to meet him." Bel asked, interested all of a sudden. He wanted to congratulate the person who made his best friend the way she is now. Back then, Dez still harbor feelings for him and him for her. But with the news that she's marrying someone else means that someone has surpass all his moments and memories with Dez and made her learn to fall in love again. He made her happy. He made her a brand new person. And he made him indirectly happy.

"Actually, he's right behind you." Dez smiled.

All at the same time, Bel, Fran, Squalo and Levi turned their heads. He was, indeed, right behind them, smiling. But that smile of his seemed oddly familiar.

"Ushesheshe~ Hello, Varia."

_I take it back. Rasiel of all people! Why? Why did Dez chose him? I take back what I thought about Dez's fiancé. He must be here to ruin my life again._

"Rasiel, meet—"

"No need for that, love. I know fully well my little brother Belphegor."

"Ra-rasiel." Bel mustered.

"Hello, Belphegor. Ushesheshe~"

For a few seconds, the Varia living room was filled with awkward silence. The two brothers stared at each other, as if remembering their memories when they were together as children.

"Ushishi. I thought I killed you years ago."

"That's what you thought, but I'm still here. Sheshe~"

"Ah-ahaha. . . No fighting, okay, you two?"Dez interrupted. Xanxus might wake up any second now. They didn't come here to fight. They only wanted to tell everyone that they're getting married and is inviting them to attend. And they were pretty late in schedule. Olgert's sudden voice roared like thunder.

"Prince Rasiel and Madame Dez, we are currently three minutes late. You still have an appointment with Miss Olivia for your check-up and —" Olgert was hushed by Rasiel's hand.

"Relax a bit, Olgert! No need to rush things!" Rasiel poked Olgert's chest where the butler's crest is placed. "Ushesheshe," Rasiel laughed, shifting his head towards Bel's direction. "I haven't seen my _little _brother in more than a decade!"

"But we really need to go, Siel. We still have to visit Marina and the others." Dez said, smiling like a proper lady. It has been only one year, but Bel saw the difference of the past and the present Dez. Dez has become calmer, more relax about her surroundings. Her smile was radiating the room like the sun and it pacified everyone in the room. Rasiel has reminded her that she was a woman, a woman who loves and is loved. _And a woman who learned to move on._ He thought, and he was happy for the fact that everything went accordingly. No one was burdening the past anymore, not even Rasiel. He hates to admit it, but he was thankful to Rasiel for making her that way.

And with a swoop of Dez's hands, both Olgert and Rasiel exited the Varia living room.

"I'll see you guys in Paris on V-day!" Dez bellowed, felicity evident in her tone. It was her dream to get married on the most romantic date of the year, in the most romantic place on Earth.

No one in the Varia spoke for the next minutes until they heard the limousine drove away.

Again, Bel repeated his words from a year ago: "As long as everyone is happy, I'm happy."

And again, everyone nodded in silent agreement.

**END.**

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Waahh! The second multi-chaptered story that I've finished! Thank the heavens!

Thank you so much for those people who read thru and thru! May God bless you. You made me so happy.

And as I've said in the previous chapter, THIS STORY HAS AN OMAKE!

You want to read it? Then, just include in your review the words, **"I want the Omake!"** If I get more than ten reviews with those words, I shall make it!

**Spoilers: **The Omake will be uploaded separately from Kiss a Frog. It will revolve around Dez and her mission!

XD Kindly review, okay? And THANK YOU AGAIN!


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